Working Trot

by Jessie Haas

Details the story of James MacLiesh and his efforts to become a professional horseman in the world of dressage

154 pages, Library Binding

First published August 1, 1983

About the author

Jessie Haas has written over 35 books for children and adults, many about horses--a lifelong passion. She currently owns a Morgan mare, Robin, who is being clicker-trained to be a trail and pasture-dressage horse. She lives in a small, off-grid house in the woods with husband Michael J. Daley, two cats and a dog. When not writing or riding or reading she likes to knit, cook, and write, or ride, or read.

Reviews

[Jamie Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book that I read cyclically throughout my childhood and adolescence; a book that I left behind only when I moved from my hometown and its public library. I hadn't thought of it - consciously - in years, but, while feeling desperate and dissatisfied last week ,I made a beeline for it in the public library here in Charlottesville. Though this book may appear to be another of the myriad incarnations of formulaic horse-books-for-starry-eyed-girls, it's not. It's a quiet, spare meditation on a young man finding his identity and purpose in a bewildering world of choice; what distinguishes it from other novels written for struggling post-adolescents seeking the wheat from the chaff and the dream from the pragmatism is that it is, in form and content, written for starry eyed adolescents. So there is a positive, balanced, and rewarding end after a neat presentation of conflict and struggle. And it's wonderful, whether you are a horse lover or not. On a sidenote, it's one of those wonderful books that creates such a rich atmosphere - a family horsefarm in Vermont overrun with cats, tempestuous horses, competitive personalities, adolescent whims and sulks, and doghair - that you are bereft upon turning the final page.

[Mary Pagones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very quiet YA book, of a kind seldom written anymore. By pony book standards in particular, not too much happens, other than the central character (a working student) learning to ride dressage a bit better. It actually reads as more of an introduction to a family of horse people rather than an actual story. There are some scenes of potential conflict (such as when James is concerned that his trainer is over-horsing a girl when he sells a horse) but they are quickly quashed (James' fear is irrational).

I still enjoyed this book very much, though. I can see why it's out of print. Not because of the quality, just because it's a kind of book that's not written any more. Not flashy or splashy, just about ordinary, quiet characters with a passion for horses.

[Jen Knotek]

In the novel, Working Trot, James MacLiesh, a teenager who has a dream of working with horses, comes to a horse farm owned by his cousins Marion and Tom instead of going to college. Also on the farm are two girls around James' age, Marion and Tom's daughter Gloria, who James slowly starts to have feeling for and one of Marion and Toms student Jennifer, a very serious and intense rider. James started off as a jumper, but soon became interested in dressage and was quickly reminded that before he can train his white stallion Ghazal, he has to retrain himself. All the years that James wasn’t riding, made him forget about how precise his hands, back, stomach and legs have to be. James realizes that reading is a great tool for success when it comes to dressage. With all of the reading that James does, he and Ghazal make a lot of progress. James goes through many ups and downs, but watching Marion and Tom, Gloria’s parents, he realizes that you can't stop being a horseman just because something else is on your mind. James worries that horsemanship is not an actual job, unlike his father who is a banker. His parents put a lot of pressure on James, which makes him wonder and think every day what it would be a like if he went to college instead of starting with the horse career. The horse career is very different from an average life career. When he was growing up he was used to a clean, organized house. The house that he is staying in now is messy, unorganized, and very unclean. Through all of his tough work, he cannot help think, is it all worth it, or is it just a phase that he was going through? As any horseman, he cannot help the urge to stay in touch with horses. While he was not working with horses, he was having good times with Gloria. As the months went on for James, he became more realistic with his life, and had hoped to become Marion and Tom's partner. Unlike James, Gloria loved to photograph the horses other than working with them. Jen was very serious about her riding, never taking a break. James, growing into a man realized that breaking through a new path might help him through his dressage dreams. He decided to buy an energetic, very trained Morgan. I believe any horse rider would be able to relate with James in this book, because he is real. While reading this book I often found myself picturing the scenes in my head, loosing the thoughts of everything that was happening around me. I would recommend this book to any horse loving teenager.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the theory that in studying one thing you can learn about everything, James takes up dressage over one year of learning about horses. This might be the best book I've ever read about the ever-present "why horses?" question. Haas describes perfectly the frustrations and challenges and sublime beauty of dressage and ties it in nicely with a boy growing into a man.